If you live in Fort Collins, and have an underground sprinkler system, you’re probably familiar with the phrase “sprinkler blowout.” If not, or if you’re new to our wonderful city, a sprinkler blowout is basically the term we use to describe the process of winterizing your in-ground sprinkler system for the winter.

We call it a sprinkler blowout because we connect a large volume air compressor to your system and force all the water out of your underground lines with air. The process is safe for your sprinkler system, when done properly, and will ensure you don’t have any unexpected freeze damage in the spring when you’re ready to use your sprinklers again.

Below are some answers to frequently asked questions about sprinkler blowouts in Fort Collins. Please read them over and then contact us via e-mail or by calling (970) 633-0636 if you have any questions or to schedule your appointment today!

The simple answer: Schedule your Fort Collins sprinkler blowout for the first 1-2 weeks of October, before nighttime temperatures get below freezing.

Make sure you schedule early! We can not emphasize this enough. The days may still be warm but the weather this time of year can change very quickly. We’ve had hard freezes hit as early as late September and as late as the end of October. You just never know what’s going to happen with the weather so play it safe.

As a rule of thumb, most of our return customers will contact us the last two weeks of September to ensure they get in the schedule early.

2. How much does a sprinkler blowout cost in Fort Collins?

Our sprinkler blowout pricing is based on the number of zones that you have in your system. For additional information and to see our current rates, please visit our Fort Collins sprinkler blowout service page.

3. Do you offer any specials or discounts on sprinkler blowouts?

Yes, we usually have coupons available on our website, as well as in publications such as ValPak and MoneyMailer. We also offer multiple neighbor, military and senior discounts. Ask about our other specials when you call to schedule.

4. Why do I need to winterize my system?

If you don’t winterize your sprinklers in Fort Collins, the water in your exterior sprinkler pipes and backflow preventer will freeze and likely cause damage to the system. Freeze damage can be a nightmare and in some cases can costs nearly as much to repair as installing a new system.

The truth is that the majority of our new business every spring comes from homeowners that forgot to get there system blown out, tried to do it themselves or hired someone that didn’t know what they were doing. Don’t find yourself in this situation.

Always remember to schedule early and make sure you hire a reputable company that knows what they’re doing!

5. When is the average first hard freeze in Fort Collins?

We pay very close attention to the weather this time of year. The historical first freeze average in Fort Collins has been around mid-October but a freeze can hit us anytime during the month of October!

6. What should I do if I can’t get a sprinkler blowout done before the first freeze?

Your backflow preventer is the one component to your sprinkler system that is most susceptible to freeze damage early in the fall. This is because it is exposed directly to the cold outside air, as opposed to the rest of your system, which is buried and insulated by the ground.

There are a couple things you can do to protect your backflow preventer if you can’t get an appointment before the first freeze:

Shut off the sprinkler system water supply.

At the very least, you should shut off your sprinkler water supply. The water shut off for your sprinkler system is usually located in the crawl space or basement, near the water meter or water heater. In some older homes, the sprinkler shut off may be located underground, near your water meter. If it’s located underground you will need a special “key” or long tool that you’ll use to close the valve.

If you don’t know where your sprinkler water supply shut-off is located, we may be able to help you locate it over the phone but, because every home is so different, you might have better luck asking a neighbor for assistance.

Once you’re certain you’ve found the correct shut off valve, turn it off by tightening it all the way to the right or turning it ¼ turn so it is perpendicular to the valve body.

Perform a “Quick-Drain” on the system.

After shutting off your sprinkler water supply line (1), you’ll need to release as much water as possible out of the pipes between the shut-off valve, the backflow preventer and sprinkler valves.

A properly designed system should have at least one or more drain points (2, 3, 9) located after the sprinkler supply water shut-off valve (1). Drain valves come in many shapes and styles. They are usually located immediately after the shut off valve (1), outside near the backflow preventer (3) and/or outside in a manifold valve box (9).

Referencing the diagram below, follow these instruction to perform a quick drain of your system:

Step 1: Shut off sprinkler water supply valve (1).

Step 2: Open the drain adjacent to the shut off valve (2)

Note: You should position a bucket under the drain to catch water that comes out. If your system does NOT have a drain near the shut off, go to the next step.

Step 3: Open both test ports on your backflow preventer (5) by turning ¼ turn with a flat head screw driver.

Step 4: Open any drains outside (3 and/or 9)

Note: If there are no drains in your valve box (9) you should run your timer through a manual cycle (OR) unscrew one of your solenoids (8) and remove it. A solenoid (8) is a black cylindrical part on top of valve with 2 wires coming out.

Step 5: Once you have let the system drain (10-15 minutes), position both the backflow isolation valves (4) and both the test ports (5) on your backflow preventer (6) to 45 degrees so they are in the half open, half closed, position. (see diagram).

IMPORTANT: You will still need to have your sprinkler system blown out! The quick drain is meant to be a temporary solution that will help prevent freeze damage in your backflow preventer before we can come out and finish your winterization.

If you don’t feel comfortable performing a Quick Drain or are not sure you did it correctly, you can also cover your backflow preventer with an insulation barrier.

First, make sure you shut your water off and/ or attempt to perform a Quick-Drain. Then find an old blanket or towel and wrap it around your backflow preventer. After it has been thoroughly wrapped, cover the insulation with a heavy duty plastic garbage bag and seal it with duct tape.

This should give you a little bit of extra freeze protection but we can not guarantee it will help.

Note: We’re not a huge fan of this option because it looks tacky and, at best, only protects the backflow preventer by a couple degrees. It will not prevent pipes from freezing but sometimes it’s just enough to get you by until we can get out to properly winterize your system.

7. I want to water my lawn as long as possible, can I schedule a blowout later in the month?

We try to encourage customers to conserve water when this question comes up. The sooner you shutdown the system, the less water you’ll be using (less $). Keep in mind that your grass does not require as much water this time of year because of the milder temps. It is also naturally beginning to go dormant and it’s not going to suffer if you stop watering it now.

If you still feel like you need to water longer (maybe you just got new sod), then you can definitely hold of on having your sprinkler blowout done, as long as you watch the weather closely and feel comfortable performing a Quick Drain (see above). Anytime temps are forecasted to drop below freezing, make sure you do a quick drain on the system and/or cover your backflow preventer.

8. I was told I have a “self-draining system”, do I still need to do a sprinkler blowout?

The rule of thumb we use is to never trust automatic drains. They are great in theory and we use them on all our installation and repairs but they are not infallible. They can clog and shift as the ground settles over time, especially on new homes or those with growing trees.

9. Can I blowout my sprinkler system myself?

Absolutely. We’d hate to lose your business but we support “Do-It-Yourselfers” and encourage you to try if you’re confident in your knowhow, have the time and have access to a decent size air compressor. There are a lot of things that go wrong so just make sure to use extreme caution and take your time. It will probably take you a few hours but there’s nothing more gratifying than saving a few bucks on a home maintenance project.

If you run into any problems, please give us a call and we’ll be happy to come help you.

10. What is a blowout tee and do I need one?

A blowout tee is a sprinkler pipe junction that is installed downline of the backflow preventer. It allows us to hook up an air compressor and winterize your system without having to blow air through your backflow preventer.

We can still winterize your system without a blowout tee, however, it is not suggested. This is because the heat generated from the friction (rapid air movement against the pipes) can damage the seals and internal components over time.

For some reason many homes in Fort Collins do not have blowouts tees. If your house is not equipped, we will let you know before we perform the blowout, explain the risks of blowing out the system without one and give you the option to install one before we perform the winterization.

11. How do I find a trusted sprinkler blowout contractor in Fort Collins?

You’ve already found one! :) We’ve been doing sprinkler blowouts in Fort Collins since 2005 and have many, many happy customers.

Whatever you do, make sure you hire a company that you're confident will be around next year. The unfortunate truth is that we earn most of our new business in the spring from systems that were not winterized properly.

12. I always forget to schedule my sprinkler blowout. Can you remind me every year?

Yes! We have a sprinkler blowout e-mail list (sign up on the top left column of this page), phone call list and mailing list. Let us know how you’d like to receive your reminder and we’ll get you on the appropriate list.

13. How do your sprinkler blowout appointment windows work?

We offer one hour appointment windows. If you schedule an appointment for 8:30am, that means our technician will arrive between 8:30am-9:30am. While we always try to arrive right on time, this time of year tends to be very hectic. In the rare event that we are running more than 1 hour behind, we will call you by phone with an update.

14. Do you offer after hours and weekend sprinkler blowout appointments?

Yes! We literally work all day, every day, during sprinkler blowout season to ensure we can help as many people as possible. We will be available between 7am-7pm, 7 days a week, during the entire month of October and sometimes into November.

15. What kind of air compressor’s do you use for sprinkler blowouts?

We own and use commercial grade, tow behind, 90cfm and 185cfm air compressors for all Fort Collins and Northern Colorado sprinkler blowout appointments.

Give us a call at 970-633-0636 to schedule a sprinkler blowout appointment in Fort Collins today!

Because of the ongoing drought, the City of Fort Collins announced today that they will be implementing Response Level 1 water restrictions starting April 1, 2013. Their hope is that by enabling lower restrictions early in the year, it will help avoid the need for higher restrictions later in the summer.

What do the Fort Collins Water restrictions mean to you?

Lawn watering will only be allowed two days per week:

Even residential streets: Thursday and Sunday

Odd residential streets: Wednesday and Saturday

Commercial, multi-family and HOA's: Tuesday and Friday

Note: Watering other vegetation on your property, such as flowers, trees, shrubs and vegetable gardens, will not be restricted.

Permits and Violations

The City of Fort Collins website indicates that first time violations will receive written warnings and information about the new water restrictions. After that violates are subject to a minimum fine of $50, up to a max of $1,000.

They will also be offering special permits to allow for exceptions. Permits must be requested from the city and require property owners to post a sign visible from the street with the permit details.

Testimonials

"Friendly, knowledgeable service delivered promptly; one of the the owners who came to do our autumn irrigation purging even honored a coupon online that I hadn't known about until he mentioned and applied it to our bill." --L. Feig-Sandoval